When an HCS waiver slot is offered to a child and the child’s SSI benefits are active, DFPS receives the child’s monthly SSI benefit. The SSI coordinator informs the DDS, the caseworker, and the foster care eligibility specialist that the SSI benefits are active. The SSI coordinator reminds the caseworker to inform the HCS provider to apply with SSA to be the child’s representative payee of the SSI benefits after the placement is made.

When the child is later placed with the HCS provider, the caseworker records the placement as a Non-FPS paid placement. This automatically sends the foster care eligibility specialist a task in IMPACT. At that time the eligibility specialist does the following:

• Notifies the SSI coordinator about the placement.
• Changes the child’s Selected Eligibility type to MAO effective the date of placement, which allows the child to remain eligible for Star Health Services. If the child is 18 years old, the specialist ends the Eligibility, which transitions the child to SSI-related Medicaid.

The SSI coordinator does the following:

• Contacts SSA to resign as representative payee for the child’s SSI benefits and explains that the HCS provider will be applying to be the successor payee.
• Notifies the DFPS Children’s Income Accounting (CIA) unit to return any SSI benefits received after DFPS resigned as the representative payee. If DFPS remains the managing conservator of the child, DFPS does not return the child’s conserved funds in a checking, savings, or dedicated account to SSA unless instructed to do so by SSA.